A guide to panic-watch tonight’s Jaguars-Browns game
Sure, the Jags were better organized in that one preseason game under Pederson than in the 13 regular season and three preseason games under Urban Meyer. And, yes, there was a coherent scheme on offense even if we only scored 11 points. Those facts get in the way of the panic that should be gripping all Jaguar fans in early August.
Tonight’s home game against the Browns should only fuel the panic, and the following topics are at the top of the panic watch for Jag fans.
TREVOR LAWRENCE
We drafted Lawrence as the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. Last season was a disaster, and while he was saddled with the worst coach in modern NFL history and a sub-par roster. He still should have transcended those challenges. Even if that would have been impossible for a veteran QB, let alone a rookie.
This is why Lawrence needs to be perfect tonight. And by perfect, I mean no interceptions, incompletions and a passer rating of 158.3. No more vanilla schemes. Pederson needs to unleash the entire offense in this second game of the preseason.
If Lawrence isn’t perfect tonight, we might as well call it a season and begin planning to tank for Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.
TRAVON WALKER
The Jags’ other No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker, had himself a game against the Raiders. However, should we have been excited about that? The short answer is no.
Walker played against the Raiders’ backup left tackle Brandon Parker. Sure, Walker pushed around the 6’8 320-pound Parker with freakish relative ease. But now he’s set the impossible standard of having to do that every game.
LINEBACKERS
We were all excited about Chad Muma at linebacker. We were told that he was going to be a steal for us. Turns out that was false because the rookie got torched by the Raiders scrubs.
Everyone says he’s a rookie, but we don’t need rookies playing like rookies. We need good players right now. Not later in the season, next year or once he’s had time to learn the NFL game. None of that. We need good players now.
PEDERSON
There’s been nothing but praise for Pederson all camp. And it’s nice to hear the positive stories, and the players seem to respect Pederson and his staff.
Yet, Pederson is supposed to be an offensive genius, and all we scored in the Hall of Fame game was 11 points. 11 points in the first preseason game of the season with a bunch of second-and third-stringers. We need to see more from Pederson tonight. If it takes opening the whole playbook in Week 1 of the preseason, so be it.
KICKERS
Watching the Jaguar kickers practice is hazardous to one’s health.
The kicking has allegedly been better since they nearly killed Jag beat reporters and a coaching staff member. But how much is the improvement?
Gone are the days of Josh Lambo, who we picked up midseason in 2017. We’re stuck with whoever wins the kicking competition between Elliott Fry and Ryan Santoso.
JAGUAR FANS
For the first time this preseason, the Jags will play in front of the Jaguar faithful tonight. The heckling of Deshaun Watson is expected and should be entertaining, but that can only sustain fans for so long. After a while, the panic watching will take over and then what?
Do we keep panic-watching? Is there something worse than a panic-watch?
Or…
What if? And this might sound weird. Instead of a panic-watch, we watch the game looking for small improvements from last week’s game. Rooting for our favorite fringe roster guys to make plays. Treating the preseason as a way to get to know the roster as we get excited for what will be a fun 2022 season.
It is certainly better than a deep panic-watch in the second game of the preseason.
